Karen A. Johnson

Karen Ann Johnson, 82, longtime resident of the Town of Lakeside, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, November 15, 2024 at Twin Ports Health Services in Superior. She was born in Chicago, IL on January 28, 1942, the daughter of Jarl and Sadie (Saalasti) Olson.

She was united in marriage to Wesley C. Johnson on January 27, 1962. They celebrated sixty-two wonderful years of marriage before Wesley’s passing only a few weeks before Karen. They are now back in each other’s arms and are together forever.

Karen and Wesley welcomed three children. Karen spent most of their childhood as a homemaker. Once they were teenagers, she decided to join the workforce and worked at several area hotels as a head housekeeper.

Karen and Wes enjoyed going on vacations, especially to Florida. They were actively involved in the Town of Lakeside and worked hard on the Lakeside Centennial Celebration. She took pride in her garden at home and also the garden at the Lakeside Town Hall. She was a great cook.
Everyone enjoyed the fresh fish she made after a long day fishing with family. To her family, it was better than any meal you could get at even the fanciest of restaurants.

Above all, Karen loved being with her family and friends. A favorite pastime of theirs was having lunch in Poplar and going to family events. She especially loved being with family for the Holidays and Birthdays. She enjoyed making and decorating wedding cakes and making all the grandkids special birthday cakes for many years. Karen was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be forever loved and missed.

Karen is survived by her daughter Lynda Moller (Dave); sons Scott Johnson (Tricia) and Steven Johnson (Tammy); grandchildren Erik Moller, Jared Moller (Melissa), Michael Johnson (Taylor), Jordan Strasser (Matt), Jeremy Johnson, Hannah Hursh (Billy), Cassandra Schuman (Michael), Nathaniel Fuller (Abby), and Carsen Johnson; great-grandchildren Kyla Moller, Easton, Emersyn, and Everett Hursh, Auden and Adler Schuman; brother Lyle Olson; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Wesley on 10/22/2024, her parents and her brothers Allan and Mark Olson.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the staff at Twin Ports Health Services for the excellent care they provided both Karen and Wesley.

A Memorial Service will be held for both Karen and Wesley on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the Lenroot-Maetzold Funeral Home, 1209 E. 5ᵗʰ Street in Superior. Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM and will continue until the Memorial Service at 11:00 AM, with Pastor Darrell Kyle officiating. Burial will be immediately following the service at the Town of Lakeside Cemetery with luncheon following at the Town of Lakeside Town Hall, 3196 S Poplar River Rd, Poplar, WI 54864.

Should friends desire, memorials may be made in Karen’s name to the American Heart Association, www.heart.org . Karen was born with a hole in her heart and was one of the first successful open-heart surgery patients in 1957 at the U of MN when she was 15 years old. In past years, she spent time fundraising for the American Heart Association to show her gratitude.

To leave a condolence or sign the guestbook, please visit www.lenroot-maetzold.com.